DuPage County State's Atty. Joseph Birkett has added his name to the list of Illinois leaders who oppose U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's request for Republican President George W. Bush to commute the prison sentence of former Republican Illinois Gov. George Ryan.

Birkett, as president of the Illinois State's Attorney's Association, wrote Bush on Thursday "to voice our strong opposition."

The Republican's letter said in part: "The citizens of Illinois are compassionate, hardworking, honest people who have unfortunately had to cope with a high level of public corruption as part of our state heritage.